MTN Uganda staff from the Marketing Department and Sales & Distribution visited Makindye division to engage with members of the Youth Empowerment Scheme (U) Limited; a project that deals in the manufacture of construction materials such as road curbs, culvert, bricks, pavers and metal fabrication.
The project was started in 2011 by Fred Mugenyi and three other colleagues. “We were a group of youth who tried to secure jobs in companies just like yours without much success. Life forced us in the direction of self-employment, but as it is now, despite the hurdles, we are happy that things are starting to look up,” he said.
“Starting off in self-employment is not easy. The capital to start is not easy to collect, and nobody is willing to take a gamble with a bunch of youth who have nothing else but a dream to make it in life. It is easy to give up, but we didn’t – and that is the message we want the youth out there to hold on to. Never give up,” Fred Mugenyi advised.
As part of the activities of the day, MTN Uganda staff toured the facility and took part in the manufacture of construction materials. To promote road safety in the busy Makindye area, the boda-boda cyclists in the area benefitted from MTN reflector jackets.
“It gives me great pleasure to that our staff are engaging with the Makindye youth to create positive change together as a team as part of our Social Responsibility Programme “21 Days of Y’ello Care” said MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Prentout.
He added: "We are particularly excited that this year we are shifting our focus to Youth Empowerment. The reality is that our youth are our future, and we need to enable and empower them in every way we can.”
"As we give back to local communities and brighten millions of lives, it is my hope that we continue doing this beyond the 21 Days of Y’ello Care as we are an operation with far-reaching impact” he ended.
